7 Super Successful People Share Their Best Travel Tips

Business trips are often associated with long hours,
uncomfortable hotel beds, and perpetual jet lag.

However, these trips prove necessary for building relationships
with clients and closing deals, so it's important to make the
most of them. Whether it's avoiding lost luggage, exploring new
places, or simply using your time as efficiently as possible,
there are plenty of ways to maximize business travel.

In their most recent editorial package, "Out
of Office," LinkedIn asked
top minds to share their best insights on getting the most out of
business travel.

Over 60 leaders across all industries provided original posts
chronicling their worst traveling experiences, favorite tips for
flying, and lessons they've learned over years of business trips.

Here's what seven of these super successful people had to say:

Beth Comstock says that if packing were an Olympic sport, she
would be a gold medalist.

The General Electric chief
marketing officer avoids hassles in the event of a last-minute
flight change by traveling only with a single carry-on
bag.

To make everything fit,
Comstock packs light and employs a lightweight, fabric bag with
lots of pockets and zippers. She also recommends utilizing hotel
laundry services to stretch a small wardrobe (which she builds
around a single pair of business shoes) over a long trip.

Still, packing everything into
a single carry-on bag can occasionally make things awkward at the
airport.

"I was a laughable sight
wearing way too many clothes at a Lufthansa gate in Hong Kong,
refusing to let my bag be rejected as too heavy."

Halliburton president
Jeff Miller wakes up at 5 a.m. local time, no matter where he
is.

Though it can sometimes be
painful, Miller thinks it's extremely important to get in sync
with his surroundings in whatever city he's in.

He also recommends going for a run outdoors, not only as a
means of recharging the body and soul, but as a method of getting
an up-close look at the city that other tourists and
businesspeople don't often get.

"In my travels, I've run
through the streets of every major city of the world. London,
Paris, Beijing, Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, New York," he said.
"I've also had the chance to run through deserts in places like
Saudi Arabia. Again, the oil and gas business is
everywhere."

The self-described "thought
leader" and Peppers & Rogers Group founder begins planning
two to three days before a trip by setting up his Outlook
calendar to show the timezone in the place he's visiting
alongside his home time.

Once he gets on the plane, he
makes the international timezone his primary time, which changes
the timestamps on emails and the time on the computer's display
screen.

Then, he begins the transition
for real by only eating and sleeping when he would in his
destination city, using a 3 mg dose of melanin to help fall
asleep.

Once he lands, he furthers his
adjustment by exercising in the morning to help set his mental
clock and refusing to take a nap (which can make people revert to
their original timezone).

The financial services
executive says he appreciates the lack of in-flight distractions
because it allows him to put on some noise canceling headphones
and let his mind wander.

Weissbluth massages the creative part of his brain by
reading novels and long-form non-fiction, and by listening to his
favorite music (specifically, Led Zeppelin).

"If you want to improve
productivity and focus, you need to let your analytical mind
rest," he writes. "Regularly devoting attention to books,
magazines, stories, films, music or whatever else sparks your
imagination is critical to staying at the top of your game in
business."

Since having kids, Zoe began
prioritizing family time over leisurely business trips. Taking a
cue from friend Stella McCartney, she now caps business trips at
48 hours and schedules meetings straight through, morning to
night.

"Whirlwind tours don't leave
room to tack on any socializing, which is a small sacrifice to
make to return home sooner to your babies," she says.

Zoe also makes her trips work
double-time by extending them and bringing the kids, or combining
in business travel with plans to visit out of town family.

Peter Guber, CEO of Mandalay Sports Media and owner of the
Los Angeles Dodgers, always studies up on his destination's local
culture before boarding his flight.

On one disastrous trip to
Japan, Guber's speech fell flat after he spoke too fast, his
jokes didn't translate, and he offended the audience by
attempting to get them to participate.

"I was culturally out of sync,
out of touch, and likely perceived to be out of my mind," he
says.

Since then, Guber takes special
care to research local culture and social customs in advance and
adapt his speeches accordingly. Learning to mold his talks to
each specific audience allows Guber to connect with the crowd
without offending or boring them.

Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International, believes the
biggest mistake of business travel is avoiding it.

"There's nothing like meeting
colleagues face-to-face, on their turf," he says. "It not only
expands a leader's perspective, but it also builds relationships
that are the foundation of every company."

Though many leaders gripe that
unnecessary travel is costs to much to justify, Sorenson notes
that networking face-to-face builds relationships in a way that
digital correspondence can't replace.

Sorenson
also greatly values the varied perspectives and insights he gains
from getting out of the office and exploring new places.